The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is for candidates who have either an excellent research background in law or equivalent high-level professional experience in a law-related field.

The qualification will provide you with the opportunity to pursue in-depth research in a specific area of law. You are expected to develop a research thesis that leads to an original and significant contribution to knowledge in that field.

The UOW School of Law is distinguished by a strong commitment to interdisciplinary approaches and ‘real-world’ relevance, and the academic staff have an established reputation for innovative, applied and intersectional legal research focused on social justice.

In addition to the standard pathway to a PhD in Law, the School of Law offers two alternative pathways:

Thesis by Compilation: consists of journal articles and book chapters that have been researched, compiled and written during the course of the PhD degree.

Thesis by Publication: consists of previously peer-reviewed published works not more than 10 years old.

The Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) PhD program involves original research related to the oceans, leading to a dissertation which should make a significant contribution to a field of knowledge.

Honours degree with 2nd class Division 1 or higher; Research Masters with at least ⅔ of the degree comprising a thesis. UOW Masters of Research with WAM70+; Coursework Masters with a substantial thesis and WAM75+ or GPA 3.2 out of 4. Other forms of research experience will also be considered.

* Special Admission Requirements

All applicants for research degrees must submit a written (preferably typed) proposal as part of their application. This proposal should:

• commence with a statement detailing any previous research or project experience you have undertaken, including if possible a copy of the abstract of such work;
• contain, in no more than one additional page, a clearly focussed research proposal for the study you would wish to undertake throughout your registration in the course; and
• conclude with a statement of your motivation for wanting to undertake the research course.

Students are advised to make contact with a potential supervisor to discuss their project prior to applying for admission.